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RE: [RC] [RC] [RC] Mariposa/Suffering The Sport - heidiProtest filing fees are not supposed to be source of revenue--they are supposed to discourage frivolous filing. Example--if John Doe wins the ride, and I can get him DQ'd on some alleged infraction, then my second place will become a win, and I get more points. Or, my horse is running neck and neck with his for a mileage championship, and maybe I can get him DQ'd and take the lead. That sort of thing... Having to put at least SOME money up front helps to deter this sort of practice by requiring up-front money that you will forfeit if you lose your protest. The problem is to keep the amount from being a deterrent from filing a legitimate protest. There was discussion of raising the protest fee at the midyear board meeting, and fortunately it didn't get very far. The protest filing fee should be within the "do-able" range of anyone in the sport so that legitimate cases are not left unfiled due to the financial deterrent. Furthermore, a successful filer should get ALL of the money back--that's how it used to be, and if that policy has changed, it somehow got past my radar screen. Heidi Truman makes a good point here (and it kills me to agree with him on something! <G>). Any organization needs to be cognizant of the bottom line. But - is dinging successful protest filers $50 the best way to do so? I don't think so. From what I see in EN, there aren't a whole lot of protests filed in an average year. So, collecting $50 a pop isn't going to be a significant source of income to AERC, relative to sanctioning fees, rider fees, membership dues, etc. So, this leads one to conclude that increasing revenues is *not* the main reason for adding this $50 non-refundable fee to protest filings. Kat (in another post) suggests that the $50 fee is an attempt to discourage potential protesters from filing. This certainly seems plausible. I can't think of any other reason for adding the fee. It's NOT going to be a major source of income. And I'm guessing it WILL discourage people from filing protests, especially those who might file them on behalf of a horse, or in other instances where the protester him/herself has nothing to gain. Other than the ability to sleep better at night, knowing that they did the right thing, that is. But now that good night's sleep is going to cost them $50. Dawn Carrie, Texas On 11/19/07, Truman Prevatt <tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:The one comment I would like to make is on the proposed new P&G rule. To file a protest it cost $150.00. If the protest is successful the filer gets back $100.00. That is although the protester is correct and has be aggrieved - they still lose 50 bucks to seek redress for their grievance.*14.2.3. *Filing Fee. A filing fee of $150 must be paid by the protestor to the AERC by check, credit card or cash when the protest is filed. The AERC shall refund $100 of the filing fee if the protest is granted.On the other hand the only current way to address potential horse abuse is for a person to step forward to file a protest. It seems that this new rule will make that a lot less likely to happen. Is this the correct direction? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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